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Thursday, December 31, 2009

New Year 2010 New Pink Saturday

I am probably the most clueless blogger in cyberspace! LOL!  But today I came acrosss an awesome blog I would hope everyone would check out. I am always trying to find myself on my own blog site and googled myself but I got The Phamily Blog instead. This wonderful California mom of 2 has the most precious daughter Gabby with Down's Syndrome. I am certain the Good Lord Himself put me there to find this blog. My whole life I have been a "Right To Life" fighter and I guess it goes along with what my late mother use to say to me. She always told me that God blessed me with five incredibly beautiful and H E A L T H Y children. I know how often I take for granted these precious people God entrusted into my care so I can not imagine what kind of super special mom you would have to be to have Him choose you to be the mom of someone as wonderful as Gabby. I have always believed that God, in His infinite wisdom would never allow one of these precious children to be given to a mom other then one who is dedicated and caring as well as compassionate and full of so much love. I know one thing, I would not want to be any of the mom's who choose to destroy these precious lives. I truly believe God has a plan for each one of us and I had to share this with everyone.

I am trying to get my daughter Hannah to help me with my blog and post my pics for the Pink Saturday I somehow missed with Beverly! Ah! Ugh! Urgghhh...But my baby girl is resting with her super crummy ear infection. I am going to blog about my mold house I live in and why I think my precious daughter has been sick with these awful infections sometimes 2 and 3 times a year! I have lots of plans for the 2010 year with my blog and I hope and pray that I will be more  getting blogging buddies.

I am planning a giveaway when I hit 10! Help me out and join me please! I usually add chocolate to my giveaways!


As for Pink Saturday I am trying to show you my pretty hot pink New Years Top hat and my cute lil porcelain pink mini jewelry box I found for one dollar at my local Dollar Tree Store. I am also trying to show a pic of the wonderful Christmas cards my friend Sherrie in Santa Maria, California sent me to recycle for my collage project that I actually found out that I found on Beverly's page!

I can't sew  but I can put together a decent scrapbook and I also love to get postcards and prints of more expensive art work (i.e. R C Gorman or other noted artists and frame them in my dollar store frames that work wonderfully.

I am going to wind down for now and I wish everyone a Blessed and Healthy and Happy New Year 2010! May God richly bless each one of you.

I want to thanks Barb at dogmom diva, Beverly at howsweetthesound and Linda at Prairier Flower Farm for keeping me sane on a daily basis. Thanks ladies!

I want to mention Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for keeping me creative with decorating and also just for being a solid Christian woman giving me uplifting moments when I check on her blog. Thanks Rhoda!

I want to mention Blue Creek Home and the Old Parsonage. You gals have made me so happy because you stopped by and commented on my blog. Plus your blogs are great and very cheerful for me to stop by and visit. I feel like all of you are old friends. I have a great blogging idea to blog about friendship in the coming months.

Let me close with Happy New Year to All and to All a Grand 2010!

Monday, December 28, 2009

PINK SATURDAY FOR A FIRST TIMER

I have been waiting and hoping and trying to join the fun on Pink Saturdays. This is my first attempt. I want to thank Beverly for allowing me to join this fun group and I am tickled to tell you about a project I am working on. I have a great recycle project I am hoping to complete in 2010.  One of the wonderful blogger ladies gave me this great idea and I apologize that I don't know who it was! If it is you please let me know! LOL! I am collecting Christmas cards with Santa's, Angels and Snowmen. When I have enough I plan to make a photo collage of these and I hope I collect many,many recycled cards so I can use this great idea as gifts for next Christmas!

So far my dear friend Sherrie in Santa Maria, California sent me an envelope full of wonderful cards. I have some in my own collection and am waiting for my niece Holly to send me any she collecting in 2009. She said she already recycled her 2008 cards. So any one wishing to help me with this project feel free to contact me for info on how to send those cards my way!

I want to frame these different collages and use them as gifts. I think it is a great way to recycle and I personally always love a homemade gift. Since I have no sewing talent, having been scarred by a nun at Catholic school in my freshman year of high school, with her comment that I was talentless in the sewing dept. I figure this is the way to go!

As far as Pink Saturday's go, I have an advantage because I love pink and I own a pink cell phone as well as my favorite pair of shoes have pink soles! I own several items of pink clothing and I even keep a pink mini notepad at my bedside so I can jot notes to myself throughout the evening. I have purchased a bottle of "Pink Truck" wine to display in one of my upcoming Pink Saturday's!

I am excited to be a first time Pink Saturday participate and I hope & pray that I can figure out how to get my blog over to Beverly!

I enjoy looking at other blogger's sites and I have found a few to share. Sunny Place is a lovely blog and I enjoy visiting it. I also love to visit Linda at Prairie Flower Farm. These are two of my favorite blog sites.

I am having so much phun visiting sites and learning about other wonderful folks. I am hoping to grow my blog and continue visiting many of the wonderful friends I have found  through blogging.

I wish all of you a Healthy and Happy New Year in 2010. I am hoping I can continue this blogging journey and I wish you many blessings and much joy in the New Year. I started this journal of sorts in honor of my daughter Rebekah's little dog Tinkerbell, a poodle who wandered into our lives on Memorial Day 1996. She never left and we figured someone harmed her and dumped in in our old neighborhood. Earlier this year she was diagnosed with liver disease and we take it day by day with Tink. She is a lovely little dog with a lot of love to give. I originally tried to help my daughter, a struggling college student paying her own way with some of Tink's vet bills. Then I tried, not so successfully, to help her by encouraging everyone to buy a Princess House item so I could help Rebekah, my good friends Alyn and Sandy  and also myself to provide a comfortable life for Tink. We just want her to be pain free and enjoy her remaining time with us no matter how long or short that may be.

I am the most easy going person you would ever met. I often look back on some of the endeavors I attempted and found that perhaps my overly kind attitudes toward people made me not be the most successful business woman around. But I have never been a hard sell sales person and I doubt at my age I would change now. I always will welcome anyone to share in the wonderful Princess House Products but I will never push or prod anyone to buy anything they don't want!

In closing tonight I want to thank Beverly again for this opportunity and thank everyone for listening. Have a wonderful 2010!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

AFTER THE CHRISTMAS RELAXATION


Before I begin the New Year which will be filled with promises made and some broken I want to review the wonderful December 2009 I had.

I turned 56 on December 3rd and my wonderful daughter Noelle & her phamily gave me an 8 bottle wine cooler. Now I can stroll the wine aisle at Total Beverage and find wonderful new wines to try.I was treated to wonderful lunches and dinners with my phamily and given more gifts then I should talk about! All the wonderful cards and wishes made me feel so loved and appreciated!

Noelle and her husband Roger celebrated dual birthdays on December 13th. My baby girl is 34 and her hubby just twelve birthdays ahead of her. We still owe them a birthday breakfast, we are early risers they enjoy sleeping in so our schedules often don't mesh.

Noelle and Roger hosted our Christmas dinner which included prime rib, ham and an assortment of side dishes and delectable desserts. It was a beautiful snowy day with phamily. Andrew brought his girl Tarrah and Jeremy had buddy Nick Fender. The twelve of us enjoyed a feast fit for royalty!


I received a wonderful array of gifts including the 2009 Barbie Holiday Doll and Hannah our youngest daughter asked for a purity ring. Books and fragrances and new clothing for all. It was a wonderful Christmas.


My boss gave me a tidy little bonus plus a gift certificate for Honey Baked Hams. I guess we have New Year's covered for dinner too!

Last night we celebrated yet another Christmas dinner with a beautiful Jenni-O  17.9 lb. turkey that my brother-in-law Mike & his phamily provided for us when we attended their Christmas party last weekend. Jeremy invited Nick F and his good friend John V to share in this wonderful feast which included more salad,sides and desserts then we should be able to digest! Our grandson Colton joined Nick,Hannah and Rebekah as well as Avery and myself and we enjoyed  sharing this bounty of good eats with good folks!

My son Jeremy got a brand new crock pot courtesy of his favorite mom. I figured when he decides to move back home this February when his rental lease is up he and I can whip up a batch or two of his favorite stuffed peppers. Cooking with my kids is fun and we enjoy spending time together.

Colton and Hannah's beau Markus got cocoa making machines from us and I purchased a bottle of Peppermint Schnapps in case they want to share.

God has given us so many wonderful blessings that I want to ask your help. My nieces Karla and Holly would appreciate your prayers as their dad Bob is going to have major heart surgery tomorrow. My girlfriend Sharon would appreciate prayers for her younger brother Gary who needs a new kidney. Keep our phamily's in your prayers daily as well. We could all use the Grace of God in daily doses.

Finally please check out the Princess House specials coming up for the New Year. You can buy any item and get a second one of equal or lesser value for 1/2 off. Also there are tons of specials you can add to your collection or purchase for a special gift in the coming new year. You would be helping some wonderful PH folks including Alyn who lost her jobs three years ago and could really use the extra income.  You could help Rebekah restart her PH career and help her little dog Tinkerbell enjoy her golden years pain free. You could also help Sandy and myself because Sandy has always generously helped me to  extra PH savings on her "Anne Robinson life long layaway plan".

May God richly bless you and keep you and yours safely in HIS care.

"May grace is sufficient for you for My power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Scrubbing the Bathtub,Cleaning the Kitchen and Shopping for Christmas


My bathtub is old and disgusting. But recently my niece Karla told me to go to Walmart and purchase a cooper pan scrubber. This little scrubber works like a gem! You should check in an inconspicuous place to make sure it won't scratch the surface you are cleaning but I got a workout using that little pad! Three of them cost $1.95 and that was a great deal! I used my soft scrub with bleach and a pair of rubber gloves and my bathtub looks very nice.

I never have a scrubbing problem with my kitchen pots & pans. I use all my Princess House kitchen ware and it cleans up like a dream! I don't always use their cleaning products either because the cookware cleans like a dream. Considering the cost of cheap pots and pans I have purchased in the past their cookware is a wonderful bargain. They have a new line of healthy cookware and you can buddy up with a friend and buy a set and get a set half off!

The hubby and I have spent a few hours during this weekend to shop for the holidays. Our kids are older now, three in college, paying their own way. So we set a limit and draw names. But I can never stop shopping for just a few more items.Just small things like a movie or warm gloves,socks or cologne. We have quite a few readers in the phamily and a good book is never a bad gift. I also like to add things like hot cocoa with a new mug or little items like bookmarks,eye makeup and lip balm.

Nick wanted a Peyton Manning jersey because rather then embrace the Denver Broncos he is a life long Colts fan. $79.99 at the nfl.com shop, $50 at J.P. Penney and $24.99 at Walmart.com with free shipping. Not such a bad deal in these economic tough times.

Hannah wanted a book called "The Perks of Being A Wallflower". $15 with tax at Barnes and Noble.

Rebekah wanted her very own copy of Scrabble. Walmart:on sale $9.99.

Jeremy a warm thermal shirt, K-Mart, on sale for $6!

The hubby had beautiful thinsulation gloves. Found 'em to replace his pair Nick lost, at Wal-greens, $5.99!

I found Axe Chocolate Gift Set for Colton at Walmart, $8.87 compared to $9.99 at Walgreens and K-Mart.

Nothing for Noelle and Roger just yet and Andrew is easy, gift card, Barnes & Noble. We can not keep up with the unusual books he reads!

By the way, Nick is my Secret Santa and we had a $25 limit!

This time of year I enjoy on line shopping as opposed to the crowds in stores and the hassle of parking the car. My favorite picks, amazon.com,walmart.com and a new fun find with jewelry including pieces made with  Swarvorski crystals. It is reasonably priced and the site is FashionJewelryForEveryone.com. Lots of great reviews for this site too.

I am always interested in finding great new finds on line. So send your favorites to me today!

I usually rely on Barb at dogmomdiva and Beverly at HowSweetTheSound for bloggers but I am always looking for new blogging sites to check out. I like to visit Linda at Prairie Flower Farm and Rhonda at Blue Creek Home. I get a lot of encouragement from all four of these ladies.

My baby girl Noelle turned 34 today. We missed having breakfast with her and her husband Roger, who is also a birthday boy today. They are late sleepers, we like to get up and out before the crowds. But I am happy that are having a nice day. It probably would be nicer if the darn Cowboys could beat the Chargers! Those Cowboys are Noelle's favorite team!

I am a little sad, my blogging buddies still are two plus myself, quite by accident! I guess no one ever wants me to give away lots of great goodies! I think if I get 10 followers I may have a giveaway!

I think Tink is getting worse, she is having trouble holding her bladder in particular. She makes a terrible mess on my runner in the living by the front door. I am just tired of washing rugs every day! It isn't like  she is here alone someone will always help her. Someone is always home but she drinks so much water and pees everywhere. It is so frustrating. I still think she may have diabetes but the vet says liver disease. After the holidays I am thinking Rebekah may have to make a tough decision.

My nephew bought his fiancee a second French bulldog. Talk about a dog with some serious health issues. I read that one lil guy in a foster home here in Colorado takes Pepcid AC before his meals. Others are prone to spinia bifida and have to have their lil rumps wiped when they use the bathroom! I learn something new every day but an expensive dog like that should have a built in warranty! Yikes they can cost upward $800-900! Too rich for my budget! But they are certainly cute lil dogs.

I wanted to show everyone "Gracie" my Avon edition Madame Alexander doll standing under our Christmas tree showing off her cute lil plaid holiday dress!

Happy Sunday to all and a wonderful  work week to all!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Blog Frog "Give the Gift of Community"

BlogFrog would like to inspire you to "Give the Gift of Community" to your blog readers and to The Children's Hospital!  For every community that adds 20 new participants (someone who starts or replies to a discussion) between now and the end of the year, BlogFrog will donate $10 to The Children's Hospital.  Also, all qualifying community owners will automatically be entered to win a $100 Target gift card.

Here's how to participate:
  1. Install a BlogFrog community widget on your site (if you already have one, you are one step ahead!).
  2. Make sure the widget is high enough to easily be seen by your visitors.
  3. Announce your community to your readers in a post and tell them about the "Give the Gift of Community" challenge.  For every community that adds 20 new participants (someone who has not participated in your community before and starts a discussion or replies to one) before the end of the year, BlogFrog will donate $10 to The Children's Hospital (up to $400)!
  4. Spread the word about your new community by sharing discussions on Twitter and include the #blogfrog hashtag so other BlogFrog members can join and re-tweet.
  5. Every community that adds at least 20 new participants during the campaign will be promoted in our next newsletter and on our website as "Blogs that gave the gift of Community".
  6. No need to count new participants - we'll keep track of that!
That's all you have to do.  We'll keep track of new participants and will be posting about progress in our community and on Twitter and Facebook.

For more information, button code, and questions see this discussion.

Thanks for your support and help!

Holly Hamann
co-founder of BlogFrog
holly@theblogfrog.com




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Saturday, December 5, 2009

The Feast of Saint Nicholas and the Generous Spirit of Christmas


December 6th is the feast of St. Nicholas. Having grown up in the Catholic church and later marrying a wonderful Christian man, I have been able to incorporate my childhood memories and traditions into my own phamily. Tonight my kids, even though they are now 24,21,18 and 16, will put their bowls out on the kitchen table and wait for St. Nick to fill them with simple treats. We always start with an orange. Although both of my parents were of Slovenian decent, the tradition of the orange started in Spain. There are various stories and theories to back this up but Nicholas gave gold to save three young women from being sold into slavery, thus the orange. You may also give  apples,clementines or tangerines. It is believed that Nicholas came from a very wealthy family, and when his parents died he used the wealth from his inheritance to give to the poor.  We add a candy cane. There are many symbols for the candy cane. In the case of St. Nicholas, is represents the staff that he carried and we always add one to the bowl. Now the gold coins. Ah...to give real gold coins! That would be a treat. But we give a small bag of gold coins that actually are good quality chocolate to represent the goodness of St. Nick as he used his wealth to ultimately help the poor. Next are socks, now my late mother would attest that as a child they hung their stockings for St. Nick but since we have no fireplace we use the bowls and we add a pair of warm socks for each one of our children. In Europe children often put a pair of shoes for him to fill with treats! Today we add other small items to our children's bowls. These items include lip gloss for the girls, lip balm for the boys and other treats like a small Christmas book or other small items.

When the kids were small they faithfully wrote their letters to Santa. Legend has it that when children wrote their letters to the Christ Child or Santa, Nicholas collected them and made sure they got to their destination.

There is the lump of coal. My mother said if you were naughty St. Nick would leave one of these for you. Today you can even buy "coal" gum for the naughty child!

You can use a small Santa doll or even read your child a book about St. Nick. These wonderful traditions really add to the meaning of Christmas.

In the Netherlands there are no holidays decorations until after the fifth of December. St. Nick is still a big hit there and they celebrate with these timeless traditions.

The story of Saint Nicholas will always be a treasure for me. He knew the true meaning of the holiday season, helping the poor and giving from the heart. Today I notice more and more that under privledged children are asking for simply necessities like warm clothing . I listen to the local c/w radio station 98.5 FM KYGO. They have a holiday tradition called Christmas Crusade for Kids. This pairs local law enforcements officers with children that truly need our help. They collect donations of new items and cash from those of us who are willing to help and deliver these items to needy kids . Lately all I am hearing on the radio are kids asking for warm clothing, a new pair of shoes etc. Rarely does a child ask for big ticket items like an XBox or other high tech gear. Last year some of my girlfriends and I adopted a phamily. It turned out that this phamily was a dear friend of mine, Lyn. Her three grand daughters live in a remote farming area in Northern Colorado with their dad Greg and his wife Sheila. His first wife, the mother of these girls, hit the drug scene and still is into it. It is very tragic because her phamily has money and live a very affluent lifestyle in Washington state. But they enable her habit, helping her out. Anyway, Greg got custody of the girls but he has been in and out of jobs due to the crummy economy and they live in a old drafty run down house.Last Christmas Lorna and Veronica my friends from the University Hospital Billing Office helped out along with several ladies they work with. Koko and Theresa from my office and myself donated and we collected so many things for these needy phamily. We bought those girls nearly everything on their wish lists and one gal donated gently used coats that her own kids outgrew. We filled my car with mittens and gloves and hats and other winter wear. We had gift certificates for the parents to complete their holiday dinner and also had little gifts for the folks too! It made me feel so good! But boy was it hard to give up those Barbie dolls! LOL!

Several years ago when my husband and I were in a similar situation someone, and to this day, I do not know who they are, turned our kids name into the Christmas Crusade for Kids. I was taken back by their generous gifts but I had had two back to back surgeries and only the hubby was working. My girlfriends from the UH Admissions Dept. pitched in and cooked dinners for us for two weeks while I was recuperating and Lorna and her dear parents collected tons of food and gifts for our kids. I was so overwhelmed, I felt like I could never give back like that! But some years God is very good to me and I donate as much as I can. Other years, like this one, I rely on the kindness of phamily and friends to help us thru a rough patch.

In closing I just want to say please do not forget those less fortunate then you. Go out and help someone in need. You will feel like a million dollars and your heart will feel warm & full from your generous act.

God Bless You All!


Monday, November 30, 2009

COMPUTER TROUBLES! YIKES

I want to start this post by thanking all the great people who helped me this past week before I tossed my blogging career and my laptop out the window! First, to my dear friend and blogging girlfriend Barbara that I have known since my early teen years. You helped jazz my page up without thinking I was the most clueless person alive, taking time away from your sister and your family to help me in so many ways. To Ivan and Jake, my son Jeremy’s friends. Two wonderful young men with more patience than Job! My dear sweet husband Avery who stuck by me even though he thought I was going to start banging my head against the wall this past week! Finally Dr. Kozue Tyler affectionately known as “Koko” my blogging buddy and co worker at the ENT office. This tireless young woman had me log on my blog at 9:15 A.M. this morning. In between her own busy patient schedule she opened every window, every gadget, every blasted icon and then some to find that annoying webfetti icon that would not leave my blog on its own free will. It put these annoying lines on my blog page and cut half my text off! I was madder then a beehive full of bees being hassled by a hungry bear! Finally as I was leaving for my lunch break at 2:27 P.M. this afternoon she found the little bugger hiding in a maze of text and permanently removed webfetti from my life forever!

Whew! That was an experience I would not like to repeat ever in this lifetime! So now I am going to try to use Barbara’s suggested Live Writer to write my blog. It looks easy enough but IT  clueless girls like me have to try before I go into another blogging frenzy.

Years ago when I first came into the Princess House business, Jonel who was my up line always said “Anne, this is not brain surgery.” I would sit and cry and swear I would never hold another show for fear people would place orders and I would have to pull out the ole Math cap! Well, she was right. Once I took some deep breathes and took one order at a time I learned the process. Now the whole thing is computerized and the company does all the hard work for you on line! Granted you do not have to sit there and hand figure each order, just the fact that they have a very nice ordering system makes everyone’s life easier. Today being Cyber Monday and a big Christmas gift giving ordering frenzy I am very grateful that some smart computer nerd developed these wonderful easy programs. The worse thing that ever happened to me with my ordering system is that my mother passed away and I had one show to turn in before I left town for her funeral. I use to keep my hostess and customer credit card #s in a secure lock box at my home but in my state of shock, having lost the precious mom that I had, instead of Alyn H. I pulled Ellen N’s credit card number. You can imagine my shock and surprise weeks later when she called and said the company charged her several hundred dollars for a show she never had! Oops! An apology and a nice Princess House gift resolved that problem not to mention the company reversed that order that same day and charged the correct card! I have since shredded every cc# I had on hand. The great thing about PH and their secure ordering site is that once a card is submitted and the process button is hot all they give you is the expiration date and the last 4 digits of your card number. Thank goodness for high technology even though folks like me aren’t the most super savvy with it!

I am going to load some pics here soon. My little tiny artificial Christmas tree looks very lovely with ornaments in white,silver and blue decorating it. Our cat Rose has designated herself as the tree keeper and she positions herself very carefully behind the tree and rests there. She is too precious. If I can coax her (she thinks she is a dog!) into lying in front of the tree I will get some shots of her.

My son’s big dog, “The Horse” mostly known as Smokey has a chair at his home. They taught him to sit there when the guys get together to watch football or play poker. He will nose you right out of that chair as it is his property! LOL! I need a picture of Smokey sitting in his chair.

Our daughter Rebekah informed us today that when she took her morning shower she put Tink and Bandit in the back yard. Ten minutes later the animal control officer place a warning on oiur door =that someone complained about barking dogs. Now I am alarmed that someone hates out little dogs. The two of them together weigh 30 lbs. I think the chronic complainer has the wrong house. My neighbor Marylyn has a psychotic old Spaniel named Maggie who is a chronic barker. The mystery neighbor, complainer, whoever they are has the wrong house. They sent the police here once and after twenty five minutes of non stop barking the cop said he never heard a peep from our dogs but her dog never shut up! His words, not mine! The neighbors on the other side have a nut case black lab named Audrey and she thinks she is a horse jumper. She is constantly jumping their fence and comes in our yard through the open gate which we leave for our pets. We have never been very happy living here and that is a story for another time.

As my late mother always said “Live is hard, pray harder.”

Updating the Blog

Go to Mille Fiori Favoriti and check out this great and interesting blog. She has a great giveaway and I am excited to share this with anyone who wants to blog.



I am very excited! Not only am I learning little by little how to get around this blogging business and add some color and snap to my page, I am also getting organized in my home. This weekend was very productive! Why did I hold on to old menus and other junk for years? I am not sure, but this weekend I started to downsize it all. Yahoo! It is such a great feeling to downsize your stuff.


Tink decided to take a walk today and Rebekah said she was gone for about one hour. That girl can book when she wants to! She must have felt great because the temperature was hovering in the 20s today. She must be a very warm blooded little dog! I guess I can confess that Tink does have a record! The dog cops know her really well. She was picked up last year and they made us chip her. The next time she decided to take a stroll she was picked up by a kind person who dropped her off at their vet's office. They called us and back home she came. Why this girl runs is beyond all of us. She must have gpysy blood in her veins! I think originally, when she booked from her previous owner and they got tired of her quickly, they dumped her in our neighborhood and she decided to adopt us! I worry because we had a black lab named Shadow who ran when he got the bug! He was killed on a very busy street, hit by a truck! I knew the night he bolted out the front door, carelessly left open by one of the girls friends, that he would never come back home. I don't want to lose Tinkerbell that way. She is a VID (very Important Dog) or a princess or some royal pet we have owned. The people who dumped her trained her. She is a smart little dog and she will beg for food and she still has a little dance left in her.


Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. I am so surprised how quickly the time passes. We have a Robinson family tradition and each year when we buy our turkey we name him. This year Nick is on the fence about calling him "Bandit" for our little rat terrier or Jeremy the owner of the lil dog. While we prepare him on Thanksgiving Day my husband will wash and prep him and call him by name. It is a wonderful tradition that we have had our entire 25 year marriage. So this year what shall we call the lovely nearly 20 lb. bird? Hmmm...


We are a bit sad this Thanksgiving as our oldest daughter and her husband have to work. Our grandson Colton wants to spend the day with his brother Andrew. Andrew is celebrating with his girlfriend & her family so we will be a small group this year. Avery,, myself, Jeremy, Rebekah, Hannah and Nick. If I can get Hannah to help me, she is my photographer, I will take some pics of our Thanksgiving table. She is very creative along with her sister Rebekah and they usually make the place cards for the holiday table. Somewhere around here I can the cutest stoneware place cards that Princess House carried a few years back. You just add the names with a dry erasable marker and voila - - - holiday place card, no hassle!


Speaking of Princess House, I have lots of specials that are opened on a show I am preparing to turn in. Just check out the www.princesshouse.com for the current customer specials and let me know if I can order any for you or for your gift giving. There are some great sales and I am always eager to help. When you purchase a regular priced item you can order two specials but when someone does not want those specials I give them to anyone who would like to save some mney and have some great gift giving ideas on hand or adding to your own collection of beautiful products.


Winding down, I want to wish all of you a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving. Count your blessings because you know you have many more then lots of folks out there.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Sunday!

Guest blogger Barb here..Anne is a new blogger and I thought I would help her jazz up her blog a bit..she and I live many miles apart so sitting down with her to help is not possible.  I am using Live Writer to type this post, need to get her to utilize it as it is so easy to use.  If you are not familiar with Live Writer you can download it at Windows Live Writer Download

Have a great Sunday!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

LET'S GO SHOPPING


Although I am trying to be good and curb the holiday overload I sometimes tend to get involved in, I want to talk about some great gift giving ideas. I am the absolute Ruler of Christmas at my house and when I get into a store and see Christmas stuff my poor husband just follows me around and takes it all in stride. He is a good natured man and I am very blessed and very grateful that he is in my life. The older I get the more Christmas I want in my life.

For instance, I have $125 in Princess House gift certificates that I am planning to use to buy some new holiday dinnerware. The company carries a beautiful Pavillion pattern dinner plate in a very pretty shade of burgundy. The dessert plates are green with a smattering of holiday on the center. I just need something to complete our dinner table this year that is new and joyful. We bought the cutest oblong dark cherry table for the kitchen this summer and I think the dinnerware will add some sparkle.

Princess House has a great Go Red line of items that you can purchase for yourself or for gift giving and for each item you buy the company will donate one dollar to the American Heart Association Go Red For Women Campaign to raise awareness and fight heart disease and stroke in women. Heart disease is still the number one killer of women in America. If you place a PH order and round up the total to the next dollar that entire amount goes to this campaign. It is a great organization and a wonderful way to promote awareness. Let me know if I can help you with anything. I am never pushy and certainly never rude. But if I can help you in anyway I am glad to do it. I also will allow everyone to purchase all the customer specials you want with or without a regular price purchase. Somehow these little gestures help folks especially during this rugged economy.

Now if you like jams and jellies and dip helpers my friend Alyn, a 6th generation Golden, Colorado resident has been involved in a family business for many years.She plans to retire her portion of the business after the New Year. But these wonderful Made in Colorado products are great gift giving ideas and you may contact her directly. Her phone # is listed on the website Serado Valley or you may contact her via e mail at grammyalyn@yahoo.com. My favorite is the Blueberry Cinnamon and the Cactus jelly.  Five years ago my children lost a very dear friend. Yesenia was 2 weeks shy of her 18th birthday when she passed away from a rare brain cancer. During the final months of her life she never lost her sparkling personality and her beautiful smile will always be forever stamped in my memory. Three months before her untimely death all the kids has a massive sleepover, which my husband and I got use to through their younger years. We were making breakfast for the gang and Yesenia was standing in my dining room buttering toast and adding the cactus jelly to most of the toast pieces. I will never forget her terrific smile and her kindness to my girls whenever they had a difficulty in their young teen lives. When I pull that cactus jelly out of the fridge I smile, remembering how she always told me it was her absolute favorite jelly and I think of this unique young woman taken much too soon. Then I smile knowing the Good Lord had a bigger plan for her in His Heavenly  Home. I know she is safe in her Creator's arms today and for eternity.

My friend Barb is going to help me jazz up this blog and I am hoping many of you will take me up on my giveaway offer and join my blog. I am having the best time going to all your blogs and learning new things and making new friends everyday. Thanks to all of you for all your kindnesses.

Finally anyone who needs any BeautiControl products you are welcome to call me (3039209282) or e mail me at phamilybusiness1@aim.com. I enjoy many of their beautiful products and anyone who is in need of a quick gift or a special item for yourself remember I am here. I learned this unique business tip from my dear friend the late Jacki Chick. That computer nerd could help me with any of my computer problems having been raised in a family of computer nerds. At one time she was the Longaberger Basket lady, the Party Lite person, the Pampered Chef queen and the MaryKay godess. She always had a terrific smile and told everyone, particularly during a busy holiday (i.e. Mother's Day, Christmas, Valentine's Day) "Jacki's House of Layaway is always open to help you with your gift giving needs." I loved that girl like my own sisters and I was truly devastated when she died unexpectedly in Mexico 2 years ago. She had asthma and had gone to Mexico to help a good friend Humberto, who himself was dying from Stage IV Mouth Cancer. She had a severe Asthma attack and unfortunately where they were, the small clinic was unable to save her life. She taught me how to make labels on my old clunky computer that took at least one week and three days to load under the great old dial up days! Remember those days? Jacki was a bright shining star and I miss her dearly. I wish the Good Lord could give me a reason why these wonderful people are taken from us too soon. But I know He has His reasons and I need to continue to follow Him in Faith , Hope that one day I will see Him in Heaven and continue to love Him through my fellow man.

Thanks for sharing your time with me tonight. I hope your holidays are bright and you receive many blessings.


ThriftyAnnabellainla: Pink Saturday

ThriftyAnnabellainla: Pink Saturday

ThriftyAnnabellainla: Pink Saturday

ThriftyAnnabellainla: Pink Saturday

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Giveaway

Anyone who gets 5 people to follow my blog will be entered into a giveaway. I will post pics later but it will be a cool surprise. There will be multiple enters for you if you already follow my blog or you sign up to follow it. Once I hit 100 followers I will be giving away a super huge giveaway. Anyone who knows me personally can tell you that I am a very generous girl. I like to make people smile. Toss those ideas out to me ladies and any one interested in following me. I know I am new to all of this but I want to increase my knowledge and get to know as many of you as I possibly can.

I want to increase my blog knowledge and I decided if people visit my site and give me advice I will be on my way to having a successful blog.

I am open to ideas and any advice will be well taken. Also any ideas about giveaway gifts is also welcome.

I am also tossing out a great Princess House giveaway. Anyone giving me at least $100 in orders before tax and s/h will be able to purchase any Hostess Exclusive or any line item for half price. You may purchase all the current specials your heart desires just do it quickly so we can have everything before Christmas.

I am always grateful for any orders and will work with you no matter how large or small your order may be. Turn in $250 in sales and have your own catalog show earning free merchandise plus half price items.

email me soon.

Thanks for listening

Happy Turkey Day

Today I have devoted the biggest part of my day to my family. Although our daughter Noelle & her family had other commitments I shared a wonderful Thnaksgiving meal with my husband Avery and four of our five children and Rebekah's sweetheart Phil. It was a grand day and I had a big surprise when I awoke this morning. My sweet hubby had been up at 5:30 A.M. preparing the turkey, aptly named Demetrius by Rebekah. Each year we name our turkey and this year she chose the name because, she claims, that will be the name of her first born son! LOL! The smell of turkey floated through the house like a dream! Our 19 plus pound bird was golden and beautiful by the noon hour. We are early holiday dinner people and we spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

I tried my to duplicate my mom's ice box cheesecake but I think I added too much sugar and it was too sweet. I will work on this for the next big dinner we share.

Jeremy brought the other kids over for the big day. Smokey and Stella enjoyed running in the backyard and feasted on the turkey scraps. Tink & Bandit liked the company and the four of them hung out. Boots and Rose disappeared and I am sure those two are sound asleep somewhere in the house. Plus Jeremy got all his laundry done! Amen!

I talked to my niece Karla in Pueblo. She was hosting her big dinner with her four kids, Katelin, Ryan, Troy and Matt. Add to the brood hubby Aaron and Kate's sweetie Charlie and my sister Mary. Avery's niece Stacie and her three kids James,Dustin and Taylor had no dinner plans and Karla invited them because Stacie's husband Dustin was working today. There is absolutely nothing like feeding people to make you feel happy. We added Jeremy's friend Nick to our brood later today and he enjoyed Avery's gravy saying everywhere he went, people had dry turkey because they opted to forget the gravy! That, in my personal opinion, is absolutely Communism!

We did not take any pictures and I am bummed. I think I will get the camera ready and shoot the pets! Not literally, just photogenically! Darn, I missed snapping Stella and Smokey!

The beautiful Colorado weather added to our awesome day. We watched the Macy's Parade and just were generally thankful for each other.

Tomorrow it is back to work for me as my doctor has the day off but insists on keeping the office open for anyone needing our help. The audiologist has one patient to do a two hour block of testing on and then she is outta there! The M.A. is moving and has the three day weekend to complete her move. So the office manager and myself will hold down the fort. Avery works for a law firm and they always get the long weekend. Nick has a therapy appointment and he is working his body to strength areas that were once weak and soft.

Hannah has plans later this evening and Nick went to spend the night with brother Jeremy. Rebekah and Phil went to hang out with friends so Avery & I will enjoy the Broncos vs. Giants football game. Thanksgiving football is such a tradition in my life. I am grateful to be alive, to be able to afford a decent meal for my family and I am grateful to be able to get up each day and go to work. I thank God that He keeps me always safe in the palm of His hand.

Happy Turkey Day to All! May God Richly Bless You!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Sunday, November 22, 2009

The Stories of A to Z


Saturday, November 21, 2009

Thursday, November 19, 2009

THURSDAY QUIET NIGHT

Nick is enjoying the warm weather in Tempe Arizona for a few days. He is there for a cross country competition with his team mates. The house is quiet. Hannah is here with us but she is doing her own thing. Rebekah is going to wait for three hours to see the new Twilight movie. Avery and I are relaxng and watching the pets.

Tink is getting along. She seems to rest quite a bit but she seems happy and enjoys the other pets attention. Boots is having some sort of bad behavior. He looked me straight in the eye yesterday and sprayed all over my kitchen cabinet and hit my tea towel hanging in place. He was absolutely wicked. Any ideas how to stop this? I would appreciate it.

I will be busy trying to clean Nick's room before he gets home. It will be a nice surprise for both him & I! I am trying to save to buy him the Indianapolis Colts comforter with matching curtains.

We decided as a family to fore go any "holiday" extravaganza. People are into this holiday this & that and no one remembers in the true meaning of Christmas and how it came to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We are sick of the retailers and all the rest of the disgusting displays of political correctness. I willtell anyone, any time and any place, the only role model I have is Jesus Christ and He was the absolute most politically incorrect person to ever live!

I say Bah Hum Bug to all the politically correct crude these retailers and everyone else is trying to shove down our throats. I do not need to say Happy anything to anyone unless it is Merry Christmas. Why have we allowed a handful of unhappy people to ruin things in this great country? I was chatting with a friend who lives in Boise, Idaho (she hates the computer after a hard day at work). She said some idiot who travels the country came into town and made the tax paying people of Boise remove the 10 Commandments at a public building because it violates his rights as an American with the whole separation of church and state baloney! But when he traveled 20 miles down the road where people evidently have higher standards and morals and money they told him he could hit the road because they were not removing any thing for his sake!

No one takes a stand today. Everyone whimps out.I say shout Merry Christmas and bust out out your buttons from the 1980s that say it all "JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON".

Have a great evening!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Snow Pictures









I am posting a few pics that Hannah, my youngest daughter, ventured out into the frigid cold to take for me. I am not a blog expert by any means and I am not even sure if I will be able to post images and other bells & whistles to my site but just having a few moments to express my thoughts on Tink, my phamily and my snowy day recipes is good and well for me.

The wonderful thing about Hannah is that she just asked for a cup of hot cocoa when she got back into the house. She is very computer savvy and she does not ask for much pay!

I have to post some PH pics so I can get some business rolling. My friend Alyn has been out of work for a long time and I would like to help her. I am also trying to help Nick get to Arizona to compete in Cross Country.

I started this blog to talk about Tinkerbell. She is our little poodle dog that is not completely well right now. She loves Rebekah and she had been stranded with her friends last night. When she walked in the door today, Tink followed her downstairs and is happily watching an Emily Bronte made for dvd movie with her. I was hoping to get a few shots of Tink but she is resting now so I will catch her next blog!

Hannah wandered around our yard and took a few nice pics. I love the snow. It is so pretty and never lasts too long. I like the last pic of our shed door with the horseshoe above it. Although the shed is old and very small, it houses our lawnmower and some storage overload. I am going to blog about organizing my stuff, or rather my phamily's stuff.

I need to catalog my dolls, as I have a vast collection. I need to photograph each doll and keep a computer disc on my doll history in case of fire or theft. I also have a big Barbie collection. I have some used Barbie's housed downstairs in the laundry room on some old shelving. There are many different rooms and occasionally I like to switch things around and move dolls into different venues. They have a nice laundry area as well as a couple dining areas, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and living/dining area. I have lots of different families of Barbie's all together.

I think sometime there are not enough hours in the day to get all the things done that I enjoy. I need to finish frosting my red velvet cupcakes and peel potatoes for our weekly menu. Sheperds pie and red chili on the menu so far.

Later I can relax with a mug of hot cider complimented by my good friend Jim Beam. My friend Hiram Walker and his delightful Blackberry brandy helped relax me for a nice restful sleep with my hot cocoa. I am not much if a pill popper and if I can avoid drugs I do so. As a child my mother gave us a cup of hot tea with honey,lemon and a splash of whiskey when we had a cold. None of my siblings or myself have any drug or alcohol problems. We also remained very healthy as children. I think those old fashioned moms really knew something about old fashioned remedies.

My sis Mary in Pueblo is suffering with a bad headache today. She is going in for some tests and can not take any Motrin or Advil or anything like that. I suggested she put a dab of muscle rub on her forehead and around the sinus area, avoiding her eyes! It seems to help me and I suffer from migraines from my V.P. shunt placement. Her hip is bugging her and I am sure she suffers from "bad bones" like me. The term osteoporosis is so darn clinical. Our mother had bad bones and suffered a broken hip in her latter years. I drink celery juice and it alleviates joint pain. I love that Jack Lalanne. He is my late mother's age and still kicking! I think genetics has about 90 percent of how you are physically but his healthy diet never hurt! I could never eat the amount of celery I can drink in a glass of juice. God Bless Jack LaLanne and his famous juicer! It is an absolute luxury in my home I do not think I could live without.

God Bless To All! Enjoy your Sunday to the fullest!

Snowy Baking Day




I have decided to make some Cake Doctor Red Velvet Cupcakes. The first time I attempted a red velvet cake, an old family favorite recipe, belonging to my aunt Ang I had just moved to Denver and had an apartment with a gas oven. The cake was like a cement brick and it was my first failure in "baking at high altitude". I decided to use a cake mix and use a recipe from the Cake Dr. I have shown a pic of the finished product as well as the second batch I poured into individual stars and hearts.

The first time I used my stars and hearts foil cups, we hosted a Cross Country pasta dinner for Nick's CC team. I baked chocolate cupcakes and when the dinner was finished and before kids had to leave I presented each one with a cup cake telling them they were either a star in CC or the heart of the CC team! They were all tickled and it made me feel great that I could give a compliment to each kid because each one of them truly had their own talent to add to the Thornton HS Cross Country Team.

The red velvet cupcakes came out great! I had to improvise a bit. The Cake Doctor called for a package of instant vanilla pudding but I only added one individual cup because it was all I had! I went easy on the red food coloring and they turned out nice and chocolate like because of the semi sweet chocolate chips I tossed in, at the Cake Doctors recommendation. She said to use the mini's, I only had the regular chips.

The house smells nice and the kids should enjoy their treat. Rebekah finally made it home, looks like she needs new tires too! Yikes! But she complimented my cream cheese based frosting as I prefer it to canned! I used some almond extract and it gave it a nice flavor. The Cake Dr. used peppermint extract but since I don't have any peppermint candies to crush and add to the frosting, I think next time I bake, I may make a Christmas version of these yummy little cupcakes.

Cupcakes

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2 -inch size)
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream (see "the Cupcake Doctor says")
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
3 large eggs
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon or scoop N cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

3. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting.

5. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. Place these cupcakes, uncovered or in a cake server, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Store the cupcakes, in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze them, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cupcakes overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

The Cupcake Doctor Says
Use reduced-fat sour cream, and you'll sacrifice only fat and calories, not flavor. If you can't find plain German chocolate cake mix, buy the pudding in the mix version and forgo the added pudding. For more chocolate flavor, use chocolate pudding mix instead of vanilla, but the cake won't be as red in color.

White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 3 cups, enough to frost 24 cupcakes (2 1/2 inch size) generously
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces (half an 8-ounce package) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted


1. Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.

2. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the peppermint extract and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and blend on low until the sugar is incorporated, 30 seconds more. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, 1 minute more, adding up to 1/2 cup more sugar if needed to make a spreadable consistency.

Feel free to fold in up to 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy for a crunchy and creamy frosting!


Bon Appetit to All!

It's Snowing!

This is a good day to stay inside and enjoy watching the snow fall! There is a lot of snow and my son-in-law was stuck in Blackhawk as the highway was closed. Took him several hours but he made it home safely. My daughter Noelle and grandson Colton barely made it home in this mess yesterday. My grandson Andrew hopped on a plane before the snow fell yesterday A.M. and flew to Las Vegas to see his other grandparents. Jeremy is tucked in his place safely with his room mate Ivan, recovering from knee surgery. Jeremy has been a blessing to Ivan helping him get to therapy sessions. Rebekah is stuck with Giggles & gang. Hannah and Nick are here with us. It is a blessing no one has to work today.

Last night Nick & Hannah climbing into our bed and the four of us watched movies until I conked out at 10. They braved one last movie before hiting the sheets!

Avery just cleaned the walks outside It is freezing, at 28 degrees we are grateful to have a roof over our heads!

Tink is curled up next to me on the sofa. She went out early and the snow came all the way up her little skinny legs. She hurried in! She is messing with the cats trying to eat their breakfast! Too tired to get downstairs for her own. I am going to replace the water bowl up here with some food as well. She misses Rebekah. They usually sleep together. I noticed Tink spent the night on the sofa but I keep a soft blanket there for her and Bandit.

Avery is cooking our breakfast. Old fashioned Potatoes O'Brien with scrambled eggs for Nick & Avery and two over medium eggs for me! Yummy!

I have two new magazines to catch up my reading. My new BH&G and Women's Day. I have a stack by my bed plus two books, the Joe DiMaggio biography and the book Noelle also lent me on autisum. I forgot the name of it. I also have several Nicholas Sparks novels to catch up!

I am trying to watch Keith Urban on Sunday Morning. He is a very incredible performer. I hear lots of good things about him and next time the tour comes to Denver, I may check him out. He has had a life that could be deemed a number one country song! I am always impressed by famous people who were down and out and came back fighting.

Take "The Birdman" on the Denver Nuggets NBA basketball team.He is such an eccentric guy but he made it back from drug addiction and he is such a community supporter. I love that guy!

I always believe in second chances. If people don't reach out to each other what would happen? Tragedy that is for sure!

I am going to tune in to KYGO C/W radio. They are giving away Taylor Swift tickets for her upcoming April 2010 concert. My kiddos saw her in Cheyenne this summer and she gives her fans a show! She is such a people person. All the controversy over her recent music awards wins makes me sad. She writes most of her own music and she loves her family. That is such a rarity in teens today. She is a blessed musical talent and as I said before about her win up against my sweet Strait, nobody can twang like George!

The hubby wants to venture out for bread. Or we can not have toast! Wish us well. It is like Christmas out there! I gue4ss an extra gallon of milk and some fixings for a nice put of chili will be welcoming too.

Pray for little Tink. She is certainly a trooper!

Signing off....

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Vaccines for Tink

The vet who gave Rebekah the bad news about Tink now wants to update all her shots! I am not sure it is a good idea. The poor girl barely goes outside for her business and primarily stays inside. I remember my brother, who is fond of terriers, had a cute little dog named "Stormy". He went to the vet one day, got all his shots and came home and died on the patio! My friend Chris had a cat named "Quervo". He went to the vet. came home and got out of the house and was accidentally hit on the head by the automatic garage door opener and he died! I know shots for pets are a good idea but I am just making a point. These two pets got their shots and died within hours, possibly because, just like humans, God has His own time table about when it is our time(or their time)to go. But I am not convinced that a little cream colored pooch who was given a death sentence is going to need those shots when her number is up! I would appreciate any comments.

I need to get our video camera out! Last night Nick sat on the bed and tossed cards at Rose. That crazy girl cat sat there and batted those cards everywhere. She is such a playful little dickens! The night before, Boots sat on the foot of our bed and swayed his tail in Rose's face! She would give him a good swat, he'd cry and they would do it over and over again until I had to chase them off the bed! Pets are indeed just like children!

My job is crazy busy and I am always grateful to have it. But I need a break and tomorrow I think we deserve a bit of a rest! We are behind getting our weekly charts ready for the busy work day but to be fair, we have been short staffed.

Meanwhile, I am trying to collect PH or BC orders so I can help Rebekah help Tink. I am a little frustrated because I use to be able to sell my PH like mad but with this economy I really struggle. Any advice? I am always willing to try something new to stir up new business.

I like nice jewelry as well as any gal but I see my friends attending these jewelry parties and paying thru their noses for costume pieces when I can not get any orders for beautiful hand cut PH wine stems or how about a set of champagne stems to ring in the 2010 New Year? Healthy cookware, buy a set, get a set half off. That is a terrific idea to buy 2 sets with a friend and split the cost! Even the Go red items are a great gift giving idea while helping the Women against heart disease campaign.

I am also a little sad because I don't have many blogger's interested. This has been a tough week, I am still struggling to put together the Pink Saturdays with lovely Beverly from How Sweet The Sound. I suppose one day it will all come together.

Goodnight for now and please tell everyone you know to check out this blog. Check your gift giving needs and contact me as I am ready to help you make your Christmas shopping affordable and easy as 1-2-3!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

PINK II STILL RULES!

I forgot to mention the greatest thing about doing the Pink Saturday's. I need to get this set up because I can do my own giveaway. I can giveaway a special collectible Princess House item or something new! You will have to trust me, to know that it will be something super! I like to do the pretty hand blown champagne flutes with a bottle of sparkling cider. You can always get your own champagne because everyone has their own taste! I can find a GoRed item and you could own a special piece of red because the Princess House Company donates $1 to the Go Red campaign, fighting against heart diesase in women, still the number one killer of women in this country!They do this each time a GoRed item is purchased and if you go on line and look at the www.princesshouse.com site you can check them out! I also could surprise folks with a cool Beauti Control item. You'd be surprised the neat little items like a fabulous mascara or massage oil. A tube of pretty pink lip color or a new cologne or body lotion!

Every time anyone orders anything from either BC or PH I will do a separate drawing. It will be a phun way to get free stuff without having to be hassled by a pushy sales person! I am a laid back, very easy going gal! I can help you get great items and give you great discounts and you can earn FREE stuff!

Now let me get back to my pink finding mission and let me figure out all these annoying url and e mail gibble gobble so I can join in the phun!

Sunday at my house is phamily phun day! Pizza party and Dallas Cowboy's football tonight at six p.m. with Noelle & phamily! You can not get any more American then that!

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

PINK RULES!

I am having the worst time ever blogging! I have to go to the help icon more then anywhere else! I input the same info each time and it rarely accepts it! I want to join the Pink Saturday's but I am having trouble getting all my info input to give to Beverly! Drats! These computers give me a fit!

Tink is frisky today! She is constantly bothering the cats and wanting to eat all their food! I know my big boy Boots is a fatty catty but Tink ,really! Must you be so insensitive to the poor boys needs! Gosh!

I want to get involved in the Pink Saturday's. I thought since I am an avid Barbie collector, I could never run out of pink stuff! Plus I got a brand new pink tunic top and anyone who hangs out with me knows I rarely venture into the great outdoors without my pink Nuggets cap! My favorite pjs are pink! I make ginbgr bread men/ladies with pink ribbons on their bods! But my daughter Hannah is drenched in pink! She has a totally pink bedroom with hot pink sheer curtains draping everything! Her comforter and sheets are pink,pink and more pink! Her sister Rebekah says "I hate pink, get away from me! Yet she has the cutest pink satin prom purse! I own a pink, yes pink, Yankee's watch! HA! My favorite bible is pink for goodness sake's and Hannah has a, pink, laptop! But this pink Saturday deal has me going nuts! I will be at the ARC and the Goodwill collecting, what else, more pink stuff! I own 2 reusable pink grocery bags! But darn it, a gal I work with owns a cute pink Hyundai Accent! Hannah has a pink guitar clock. Stella, Jeremy's pet has a pink print dog collar! I am into pink so I must start my pink mission! My cell phone is pink. I must finish this blog entry in order to direct my attention to everything pink! I know I have pink blush and pink lipstick here somewhere! Hmmm.....

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Thanksgiving : The Most Underrated Holiday!

I love Thanksgiving! I think it is very sad that it is a very under rated holiday! No one seems to care about the value this wonderful holiday holds. It is a time to visit with phamily and friends and enjoy good food and share all the blessings of each year! You don't see a lot of holiday stuff for Thanksgiving. Oh sure, an occasional pilgrim or two! But no really cool Thanksgiving "stuff".

I have always made this special day very special for my own phamily just like my parents did when I was a kid! I long for the days when all the phamily gathering round the table to share in a delicious feast and spent hours visiting with each other.

Today people rush about and all the magazines have these bland low fat, low cholesterol foods. Listen, I have worked in the health care field for 26 years. Your genetic make up is what you will be stuck with. You can eat all the raw carrots your heart desires but if you inherited high cholesterol, you are stuck with it! Then you can take all these great drugs that add to your problems by giving you more side effects. More health troubles!

I found out to control my migraine headaches, a product of three neurosurgeries, in the 1980s, I had to learn to read labels because there are foods that cause migraines. There is also a lot of physical activity you can do to avoid these nasty headaches and watching your weight or your diet is a good thing. Just don't get so wrapped up in in all that you forget what Thanksgiving is all about. I know there are many people who won't be so fortunate and won't be having a nice phamily gathering this year. With unemployment double digiting, lots of folks are barely getting by! If you feel that you are on overload, lend a helping hand to someone less fortunate then you! I have often looked at my own life, and we have very little yet we are rich compared to people that feel despair and hopelessness during the holidays. We have jobs and are grateful to be working. We have health right now and that is so much more then lots of folks. We have health insurance and even though it is an oldie with lots of miles, we still have a car to drive. We live in a rental house with lots of problems but the roof currently isn't leaking so we try hard not to complain. We have faith. Something I know is lacking in America today.

I was struck by one of the young soldiers who died at Fort Hood Texas this week. A
young man who chose to go to war rather then a mission trip with his church. being from Utah, I am assuming he was a member of the LDS church. Maybe he felt compelled by GOD to do something different and in doing so, he lost his life. But I am hoping and praying that he is in the arms of the Lord tonight. Out of the pain and suffering this cruel world can dole out. I never understand why God allows so many good, decent people to be taken especially at such a young age. But I know God has a plan for each one of us and I must keep trusting Him. Because one day I will stand in front of Him in all His glory and then I will know it was certainly worth the pain and suffering I have had to experience. My heart aches for the phamilies who lost their loved ones this week but I know God koves each one the same and I am hopeful many will see their loved ones on the other side.

Good night and God Bless!

SATURDAY AT THE HOUSE

Today was a very productive day. Nick ran a good race in Fort Collins. He ran 17.42 and came in 108th. Not bad for a boy who had his first experience at State this year. The weather was perfect and I got to enjoy time with my lovely daughter Noelle and my grandson Colton.

We had a late lunch at the Cracker Barrel and Colton & I hung out for a spell and sat in a very cool rocking chair autographed by Alan Jackson! Yahoo!

We got home and let Bandit & Tink out. She had a couple accidnets and can hardly wait to get outside and do her business.

We took Nick to Jeremy's place and visited fora while. His room mate Ivan had major knee surgery and is hooked up to the neatest contraption to work that knee. Smokey and Stella were calm and enjoyed our visit. Poor Chauncey (Ivan's little dog). She is spastic anyway, and with his knee and all the pain he is experiencing, she was doomed to her kennel ppstairs. Jeremy was grumpy, having just gotten home from work and their friends John C. and John V. were sweeping and straitening up their place.

I was bummed that no one called me with Princess House orders. I thought I might sell a few tea kettles and help Rebekah help Tink No luck this time around.

I am hoping to clear out some of my PH in storage and sell it cheap for the upcoming Christmas holidays. I have my eye on a singing turkey that is antimated at the Cracker Barrel! Hmmm...

I will probably use the empty office in my office building to display some PH and see if I can earn cash for Tink that way! There is always period 12 which has some extra cool specials that are not on the regular special flyer. The $200 cutlery set with wood block is selling for $70 so that alone is a huge savings! A good cutlery set is always welcome during the holidays.

Nick will spend Thanksgiving in Arizona. There are 7 of them traveling with their Coach O'Shea for some national level cross country. I am going to use whatever my bonus from my full time employer is, to help Nick achieve his goal. I wish somedays I were super wealthy. Nick goes to school with lots of kids that could use extra help and I have dreamed about having the kind of money that could send the coach & his guys to Arizona without a worry!

No one can take your dreams from you! Besides Nick needs some basic stuff like running clothes because in these national running competitions, you can not wear your school uniforms! Anyone connected with my Face Book account can view some pics I put on there. Noelle has more and I am hopeful I can add to my album tomorrow.

We are going to Noelle's for the Cowboy game tomorrow. She is having a pizza party and we can watch the game on their big screen tv.

We need our rest as the Bronco's face off with the Steelers on Monday night football.

I am going to check my laundry and check on Tink. She curls up in her little blue bed next to Rebekah's bed and snuggles in for the night fairly early. The cats have been fed and I need to check the food supply for Tink & Bandit.

POTTY PATCH

Thinking of purchasing a potty patch for Tink. Avery is mopping floors and finding pee puddles everywhere. The poor girl is having a hard time controlling her bladder. At my age, I certainly know the feeling! LOL! But we thought about getting a potty patch for when we can not be here with her. They say the grassy top will make your pet want to pee on it. The cost is pricey, in my opinion, and in this economy, but you can save six dollars from the $39.99 price. Any suggestions?

I think I am burning nervous energy blogging way until I decide to stop and hop in the shower so we can hit the road with Noelle,Colton and Avery. Nick has to be at his school at 10 A.M. as the bus leaves from there to Fort Collins. I posted one of my favorite quotes from the NBA star Tim Duncan, "Good, Better,Best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better best."

I send Nick cross country quotes all the time and anyone who knows me, will tell you that I am the "quote" queen. I love inspirational quotes. Another favorite, "Do you YOU NOT KNOW THAT IN A RACE ALL THE RUNNERS RUN, BUT ONLY ONE GETS THE PRIZE? rUN IN SUCH A WAY AS TO GET THE PRIZE. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." I Cor 10:24-25

It is time for me to stop blogging. I am getting too nervous. Pray for peace and good health and a strong run. Amen!

State Cross Country Meet 11/7/09

Nick runs in the state competition today for cross country. We enjoy going to Fort Collins. It is a lovely eco friendly town about 50 minutes North of us. It is home to the Colorado State University and a city filled with lots of booming businesses.

I am nervous for Nick and I have not talked about this race much except to tell him as I always do, "Run the race for yourself. Make sure you beat your best times. The 54 senior boys running this final race of their high school careers will certainly want to win!" I tell him to do his best. Be the best he can be for Nick. No one else matters. He has incredible focus when runs and I am so proud of him. He has come a long way from the small middle schooler who was asked by his coach to join their team over 2 years ago! Nick has integrity and honesty and commitment. He spends most of his summers running with his team logs 20-30 miles weekly. He hopes to run in Arizona during Thanksgiving break. We are trying to put some funds together for that! Always something with a phamily!

Remember today is the final day for PH specials for period 11. If you want a stainless steel whistling tea kettle or other great items call me before 7 this evening. Although I will be on the road part of the day I always check my e mail and phone msgs. The new specials for 12 start today also. Get 'em while their hot! Remember if you purchase any items at all you will help yourself to wonderful elegant items to keep or give and you will help us help Tink. Any monies earned are going to the Tink Health fund.

God Bless all and keep Tink in your prayers. Hannah is on the road to Gunnison with Bonnie, Markus's mom so pray that they have a safe trip to watch that handsome sweetie play his final freshman season football game in which he was selected to play varsity! Go Markus! Go Mountaineers~! Go Red! :):):)

Please pray that we have a safe trip to the state cross country meet and pray that Nick remains healthy & happy & does his very best!